GOTM 184 Spoiler

[Ali Ardavan]

+500 to +1000

The big event of the period was a switch to Republic in +540 and then growth of cities through celebration. While my city count went up by 50% my population went up by 500%. One Zulu city was captured and 2 more subverted. An Advanced tribe founded a city in Lybia. Indians built a city away from the rest allowing me to subvert Madras which is close to the cluster of their cities. Boats set off for England from Persian gulf in this period.

+0520 Vet archer on mountain survives 4 barbarian horsemen and 3 legions; last legion disappears! Zulu -> 0g. Indian settler pestering around Bombay bribed for 168g. Revolution started.
+0540 Zulu ignore my tribute demand again; I was hoping they would declare war. Have to sacrifice my spotless reputation for now. Zulu horseman and settler killed. 100g from Pacific hut. Republic established. Cloth to Frankfurt for 47. T0L6S4
+0560 Knight survives Zulu elephant. 5 of my 9 cities celebrate. One knight kills 2 warriors defending Zulu Bapedi, the other one captures the city for Pyramids, 7g, and barracks. 50g from Australian hut.
+0580 English catapult runs into my van in Anatolia! They offer peace, I refuse, and senate backs me up. Diplomat runs into Zulu settler, they offer peace, I refuse, senate grants them cease fire. Zulu settler bribed for 180g and turned None. Zulu Hlobane subverted for 2x168g. Got 7g and an archer. Copper to Elephantine for 82.
+0600 Knight discovers Umfolozi and senate hands peace to Zulu. Crusader from Australian hut. 8 barbarian horsemen from Siberian hut. T0L5S5
+0620 Barbarians kill my explorer. 50g from Australian hut. T0L8S2
+0640 Barbarian horseman approaching Bapedi killed. 50g from Australian hut. Knight kills English catapult and turns vet. T0L7S3
+0660 Physics -> Magnetism. 100g from Australian hut. T2L7S1
+0680 T3L4S3
+0700 Michelangelo built. Hides to Zulu Intombe for 92.
+0720 8 barbarians from Australian hut surround my explorer. Advanced tribe founds Antioch in Libya.
+0740 English kill my diplomat in Anatolya. Barbarians kill my explorer. Knight kills 2 English units and turns vet. 3 barbarians from Tunisian hut; Knight escapes.
+0760 2x100g from huts in Sahara and Mediterranean. T1L6S3
+0780 Shush and Pasargadae reach size 12. English catapult killed. 50g from hut in Mediterranean. Barbarian horseman approaching Antioch bribed for 41g.
+0800 Antioch horseman kills barbarian horseman. T3L6S1
+0820 25g from hut in Sahara. Legion from North African hut. English chariot killed in Balkans. Zulu Umfolozi subverted for 2x120g. Got 10g and warrior. T2L5S3
+0840 Egyptians build Great Library; Germans and English switch to Copernicus. None legion from hut in Sahara.
+0860 Germans build Copernicus; English switch to Lighthouse. Egyptians start Leo. T1L8S1
+0880 English build Lighthouse. 50g, 25g from huts in Sahara and N. Africa. T2L6S2
+0900 25 from huts in Sahara. 2x50g from huts in Africa. 8 barbarian horsemen from hut in Sahara surround my vet knight which kills one. T4L2S4.
+0920 Balkan knight on forest survives English chariot. Barbarians kill my None vet knight in Sahara. Germans capture yet another Russian city. Russians are down to 1 size 1 city. Crusader from huts in Sahara T6L3S1
+0940 Elephant kills barbarian horseman in Sahara. Indian Madras subverted for 2x220g. Got 30g, Phalanx, and barracks. T4L2S4
+0960 None Legion from sub Saharan hut. 100g from Saharan hut. 7 barbarian horsemen from Saharan hut. One bribed for 41g; it kills another and then dies on the second attack.
+0980 Barbarians kill my crusader. Russian civilization destroyed by Germans. Magnetism -> Theology.
+1000 Domestic Silk for 45. One barbarian horseman killed and another bribed for 41g. None Legion from sub Saharan hut.

Status at +1000
Population: 5.0M; Cities: 14; Techs: 33; Government: Republic
Gold: 296; Cost: 20; Trade routes: 8D3F;
Wonders: Marco, Pyramids, Hanging Gardens, Colossus, Magellan, Michelangelo
Units: 11 settlers (3 None), 1 warrior, 3 Phalanx, 4 archer (2 None), 7 Legion (4 None), 5 pikemen, 3 horseman, 1 None elephant, 1 Crusader, 7 Knights (3 None), 5 caravels, 4 diplomats, 5 vans, 2 explorer
Goals: Hut hunting, conquest of Zulu, invasion of England, Leo (next turn), Great Wall if English start building it, Bach
Russian: Destroyed by Germans
Zulu: 6 cities, 9 techs;
German: 9 cities, 20 techs; Copernicus
Egyptian: 7 cities, 25 techs; Great Library
English: 7 cities, 22 techs; Lighthouse; war with me
Indian: 1 cities, 13 techs;

 

[Ali Ardavan]

+1000 to end

+1010 Barbarian horsemen kill mine. Leo built. 100g from Saharan hut.
+1020 2x100g from Siberian and African huts. Knight runs into English Legion in central Europe; senate hands them peace.
+1030 Umtata subverted for 2x189g. Got 22g and warrior. 2x100g from African huts. Salt to Leipzig for 120.
+1040 6 barbarian horsemen from Australian hut; explorer escapes back on the ship.
+1060 Mpondo subverted for 2x248g. Got 32g, barracks, city walls, and 2 warriors. 5 barbarian horsemen from Australian hut; explorer escapes back on the ship.
+1070 Theology -> Medicine. 200g from African hut. 100g from Siberian hut. Intombe subverted for 2x244g. Got 33g, barracks, city walls, 2 warriors, and a settler. Provoked English to declare war.
+1080 Galleon survives English caravel and turns vet. English kill a legion around London. 7 barbarian horsemen from African hut. Attack on London starts with 5 units, 3 of them vet. A vet legion is lost before 2 defenders are killed and the city is captured for Lighthouse and 32g. Senate backs me up against English. English catapult killed. 8 barbarians from Australian hut surround my explorer. This is the third Australian hut in a row giving barbarians. Zulu settler bribed for 192g; it is now none.
+1090 Barbarians kill my units. Ngome subverted for 2x177g. Got 52g, barracks, city walls, 2 warriors. 100g from African hut. Single defender of Nottingham killed and the city captured for 58g.
+1100 50g from Siberian hut. Senate, once again, backs me up against the English. 3 units kill 3 defenders of York rendering the city defenseless.
+1110 6 barbarians from African hut. York captured for 39g. Cloth from size 12 capital to German Leipzig for 305. Zulu settler bribed for 184g; it is now none.
+1120 Barbarians kill my legion. Swazi subverted for 2x228g. Got 38g, barracks, city walls, and 2 warriors. Zulu are down to 1 city.
+1130 Medicine -> Sanitation. Wine to Thebes for 85. Legion from Siberian hut.
+1140 Senate, once again, backs me up against the English. Rejected English offer of 100g for peace. 2 defenders of Hastings killed and the city captured for 53g and barracks. Senate keeps backing me up against the English. English archer killed.
+1150 Legion from Siberian hut.
+1160 English phalanx killed. English Warwick bribed for 248g. Got 57g and 2 soldiers. Senate hands cease fire to the English. Coventry subverted for 2x236g. Got 40g, barracks, and 2 soldiers.
+1170 100g from Siberian hut.
+1180 100g from Siberian hut. Canterbury subverted for 2x228g. Got 55g, temple, and 2 soldiers.
+1190 200g from Siberian hut.
+1200 Sanitation -> University. Sanitation -> German -> Banking.
+1210 Bach built.
+1220 200g from Siberian hut.
+1230 100g from Siberian hut.
+1240 Lahore subverted for 2x110g. Got 31g and phalanx. Indian civilization destroyed. Legion from Australian hut. Tugela subverted for 2x165g. Got 45g, barracks, city walls, and warrior. Zulu civilization destroyed. T1L8S1. New Castle subverted for 2x108g. Got 20g and 2 soldiers. English civilization destroyed.

 

[grigor]

Elegant to conquer all three in the same turn!

 

[Major Advantage]

Here is the final part of my log. It would have been a BC-finish as well if the English hadn't found that advanced tribe in Spain. Some piece of strategy that I have not thought about before: Grab all huts near the rivals, so there is no advanced tribe you need to hunt down.
Hätte, hätte Fahradkette...
Overall a nice challenge, but highly depending on hut luck, without the advanced tribe in the Netherlands, my game would have taken at least as long as Ali's.

-475 Bribe Ulundi 174 (56), and at least one more Zulu city to find... another 50g
-425 Barbs in the Sahara...and an advanced tribe just south...
(our Archer dies)
-400 Bribe barb horse for 41, kill 2 ; Nomads in Himalayan, and an ellie we disband, discover Hlobane
-375 Open embassy with England, they have 4 cities, 2 accounted for; Adv. tribe in Libya; Raze Hlobane for 42, Zulus still not dead
(Zulu Warrior approaching, hails us, sign peace, gift some techs, exchange maps to find their final cities...it's only one left)
-350 elephant from hut
-325 Adv. tribe in southern Africa, nice, but I would prefer gold now
-300 Legion and adv. tribe in Africa, nice but pretty useless right now, 8 barb horses in northern Africa! Is our city there worth to be defended? I vote for no
(Our dip is killed)
-275 50g from hut, drop off units in England
-250 Sneak attack England, we take York (64+Seafaring); Hail Egypt, they remind us of our alliance, how could I ever forget, of course we are in again, so it's war gainst Zulu again, bribe Isandlwana for 110, 32 back, Zulus defeated; Legion in West Africa
(Our trireme wins against attacking english, turns vet)
-225 25g + 50g; England wants to sign peace, we agree, another 50+50, wow, gift some techs to Egypt, ask for gift, get 150
-200 2 units in Africa, 1 disbanded
(England sneak attacks, kill an elephant)
-175 Raze London (36g); Adv. Tribe in NE China
(English sink our trireme with dip on board)
-125 25g, 50g, 2*barbs
(dip + legion lost)
-75 50g + Barbs in Africa; Raze Nottingham 44g; Bribe Hastings 132g (76 back), 1 english city remaining
(Warrior lost)
-50 50g, no sign of Canterbury so far...
-25 2*50g
+20 Still no sign of Canterbury, sign peace with England, gift some techs, exchange maps... they are in Spain!

Stats at AD500:
pop.: 850k; Cities: 14; techs: 23; gold: 914; Gov.: Mon; wonders: -; TR: 0D/0F
units: enough
Goals: Conquer Canterbury

60 Dip slowly moving towards Canterbury, 100 + 50g from huts
80 Barbs in Sahara
100 More gold and an elephant
120 50+100, 2 more turns to play unless England gets another city
140 Dip in position, protected by explorer
160 HG built; Subvert Canterbury (2*124), 122 back, England defeated, game over